


SYNESIRIS Book 2: 外部 ~ GAIBU

by Akiba Idol Emily (Asterhythm)



Series: pop'n music SYNESIRIS [2]
Category: Beatmania IIDX, Dance Dance Revolution, Pop'n Music (Game), SOUND VOLTEX (Video Games)
Genre: Amnesia, Memory Loss, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Saving the World, Self-Insert, Tsugidoka, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26259589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asterhythm/pseuds/Akiba%20Idol%20Emily
Summary: The worst has happened: the Phantom Kamen has taken over the pop'n world. Nobody can survive in a world without pop-kun or music or creativity or color. And so, the Tsugidoka, accompanied by Natsuki and Timer, travel between the worlds that MZD created, on a search for someone who can help. Will they be able to defeat the Phantom Kamen in time? And just...who IS this Phantom Kamen?
Relationships: Mimi/Nyami, Timer/OC, mentioned Retsu/Fuga
Series: pop'n music SYNESIRIS [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1294349





	1. Far Away Reflesia

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a hot second since I've published. I have my reasons. Akiba Idol Emily is no longer a thing -- I no longer identify primarily as Emily -- but I'm fine with using that pseudonym for this series only. 
> 
> I have no clue what a posting schedule would be for this. My guess is I'll throw up a couple of chapters, forget about this for three months, and then post the rest. 
> 
> Tags for Book 2 are ONLY for Book 2.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, as is con-crit. Please be GENTLE with your con-crit because I have context-processing issues. The kinder you can be, the better.
> 
> Flames will be fed to my ghost husband (congrats to us, I guess?)
> 
> I don't have a ko-fi or a Patreon of any substance, so if you somehow want to support me monetarily, please go listen to my music on Spotify or Apple Music. Shouldn't be that hard to find me, ultimately. (Watch: I'll say this and someone will go find my Akiba Idol Emily songs on Spotify and stream them.)
> 
> Above all, thank you for reading, and for God's sake, don't take this or anything too seriously.

In case you’ve been wondering up until this point: yes, I was quite aware of the situation at hand during all of this catastrophe. And yes, I allowed it to happen. _But MZD,_ you’re probably going, _why did you let them all suffer? Why couldn’t they just be happy forever?_ Because eternal happiness is not the goal. It was never the goal. Once upon a time, it had been My goal to make a place happier than the world the Blessed Trinity created. And I accomplished that goal, but in doing so, all of the darkness and sadness had to go somewhere. That place became Lapistoria, and -- well, that story has been told.

So darkness and light had to come back together in the same world. This is why the person so named by Timer as the “Phantom Kamen” existed, and why they were able to drain the pop’n world of its color and pop-kun. But Hiumi, Retsu, Fuga, Rinka, and Natsuki and Timer were on the right track by leaving. Only by journeying outside their own world would they be able to find the solution to their problems.

And in doing so, they would ultimately grow to become better and stronger people -- which is why I did not intervene. At least...not yet.

\--

The physical transfer was immediate, and the group found themselves standing in the middle of a strange town. Houses with muted colors lined the brick road. A huge pub had their doors open, with quite the noise inside. A man was hammering steel outside another business. Colorful signs hung from the rafters, advertising magic potions, strong shields, and lodging for the night. Surrounding the town on all sides were massive green mountains.

“Where have we arrived?” Rinka asked. “Hiumi, is this where Pastel-kun lives?”

“Wow.” Natsuki looked around the town. It was totally different from pop’n world, not as much color but still had the same happy, peaceful feel to it.

“Halt!”

Or, at least, it had.

A tall woman with long black hair, dressed in black and blue, approached them. “You are trespassing on sacred ground. Let me please see your traveling permits.”

“Traveling permits?” Rinka looked at Navi-kun. “Is that something you should have authorized?”

“ _Traveling permits_ is not in my vocabulary,” Navi chirped back.

The woman narrowed her eyes. “I will have to detain you until your traveling papers arrive from your home village.”

“Look.” Hiumi stood up in front of the woman. “I don’t know what your problem is, but this is kind of an emergency. We’re not from this world, and we’re here to see Pastel-kun. He knows who we are -- at least he knows who I am -- and he will be more than willing to grant these travel papers, or whatever else it is you need.”

“The Great and Valiant Pastel-kun does not have time for you.”

“The Great and Valiant Pastel-kun is my _friend_ , and he will _always_ have time for me.” Hiumi looked frustrated. “We’ve already been through a lot today, and quite frankly, that thing we just did was exhausting. I need Pastel-kun. NOW.”

“HIUMI!!!!” A light voice echoed out over the area, and the crowd that had gathered looked up as a group of balloons floated above their heads. Strapped to the balloons was a grey mouse dressed in battle gear. He floated directly into Hiumi’s arms. “I see you!”

“I see you too, Pastel-kun!” Hiumi hugged the mouse tight. “I’m so, so happy to see you!!!”

“Uh...was anybody else expecting a strong and mighty warrior?” Timer asked.

Natsuki’s paw shot up.

“Okay, that’s what I thought.”

“Pastel-kun,” Hiumi said, “we need your help. The pop’n world is gone!”

“WHAT? Impossible!” Pastel-kun squeaked in surprise. “This is terrible!”

“Uh…” Rinka pointed out the groups of people that were still congregating around the newcomers. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe we shouldn’t pull the entire town into this?”

Pastel-kun ushered them into the nearest hostel, where they took up a second floor room. He also called in for food to be brought, and all six of the pop’n crew dug into turkey legs, massive vegetables, and -- in Timer’s case -- an entire bottle of mead.

“So you’re saying that MZD is missing, and some strange cloaked thief stole all the life from pop’n world?” Pastel-kun asked. “Unbelievable!”

“Well, we’re somehow here because of it,” Hiumi told her mouse friend. “I still don’t know how we pulled that off, but Navi-kun teleported us here. We need your help, Pastel-kun. We need to find MZD, and we need to find out where this Phantom Kamen went and get our world back.”

“It’s nice to be able to be here for a moment,” Timer noted. “You know...the whole food and drink and light thing is nice. But…” He trailed off as he thought of Mimi and Nyami.

Pastel-kun drank from a small cup of tea. “Okay, so here’s what I know. I don’t think MZD is here, and I haven’t seen any mysterious masked people taking the life out of this town. Even if there was, the warriors who protect this world would rise up against it and defeat it soundly!”

“I didn’t know you lived in such an interesting world,” Hiumi told Pastel-kun.

“Yeah! It’s getting me fired up just thinking about it!” Retsu said. “Warriors and fighting and magic!”

Pastel-kun laughed, then gave a small smile. “I’m glad you are enjoying it. Now, I do not know where MZD is, sadly. But the Queen might know.”

“There’s a Queen here?”

“There is! She lives on the highest mountaintop of Reflesia, where she can watch over all of her subjects. It is at least a three day journey to her, but I know she can help you with the information you seek.”

Three whole days? Before Timer could object, Natsuki stood up. “If that’s what it takes to figure this out, then I’m in for it. I hate leaving everybody behind, but if we don’t, then we’ll never free the pop’n world and make it a better place again.”

“That settles it, then.” Hiumi smiled at Pastel-kun. “Show us the way to your Queen.”


	2. TWINKLE WONDERLAND

“This armor should protect you while you are on your journey,” Pastel-kun explained as he suited up the Tsugidoka crew for their excursion.

Each member had been fitted with an armor set that helped with their powers. Natsuki’s was made of material that helped conduct electricity, making it easier to use her new powers, with gloves over her pawed hands. Hiumi’s armor sat over her school dress and gave her an extra layer of insulation. Retsu’s suit was fireproof, Fuga’s was as light as the wind he commanded, and Rinka’s came with an extra set of garden tools...just in case.

And Timer? “I can’t move in this thing,” he said as he traipsed forward in a full set of chain mail, covering his head and all. He had been given a shield and a small dagger to ward off enemies...though one would be curious as to how much actual warding he could do.

Pastel-kun couldn’t help but giggle. “Well, you don’t have any magic powers, so we had to make do with what we could find! I hope it’s enough to protect you on your journey!”

“Thanks,” Timer complained as he was also shouldered with the tents and sleeping bags.

Pastel-kun handed a scroll to Hiumi. “This is the map that will safely get you to the Queen. Please make sure to follow it exactly. The journey is not hard, but it will take time. I’m sorry I cannot go with you! I have matters I must attend to here in town.”

“It’s okay.” Hiumi gave Pastel-kun a big hug. “You’ve already done so much for us. When will I see you again?”

“Soon! Hopefully really soon. Now go! Don’t lose any more time!” And with that, the six were off, taking the brick path out of town and leaving the buildings behind. They took with them their armor, the tent and sleeping provisions, plus five days worth of food and water.

Natsuki shielded her eyes with her paw as they walked away from town. Ahead of them were long, green fields, sloping upward. Some of the fields were filled with wildflowers. Others were cultivated with different crops. She peered far-off and saw what she thought might be a horse running wild and free, its mane flowing in the breeze.

Retsu was talking up a literal storm with Hiumi, something about “being heroes again.” Fuga was walking in silence, and Rinka had skipped ahead to look at the flowers. Timer, however, was hanging toward the back, at least twenty or so steps behind the others. “Are you okay?” Natsuki called out as she ran back toward him.

“This is all heavy. I’m not sure how much more of this I can handle.”

“Let me take at least some of it,” Natsuki said, offering to take a bag. It was heavy, but if she balanced it between both shoulders, she felt she could carry it for at least a little while.

“Why don’t they have to carry anything?”

“They are. You just got all the heavy stuff. And that armor can’t be easy on you.”

“I don’t like it. It’s heavy, and it’s not fashionable. Yours is fashionable. If I was wearing something as cute as that, I wouldn’t complain.”

Natsuki found herself blushing. “Eh?”

“Well, I mean, look at it. It’s incredibly figure flattering. You can’t even see any of me under this.” It was true; between the chain mail and leg guards and helmet, Natsuki was surprised she could hear Timer speak at all.

“What’s holding ya’ all up back there?” Retsu called out.

“Everything’s heavy!” Natsuki called out, then turned to Timer. “We gotta find a way to divide all this up better.”

In the end, Fuga and Retsu both took a bag, which left Timer carrying the tent and Navi-kun on his back. They walked for a while before stopping to rest under a tree. Hiumi pulled the map out. “Pastel-kun said we would walk up these hills through the fields and out of the valley tonight. He said to go all the way to the edge of the forest and then stop and sleep. Then, we have to take the trail through the forest until we get to the foot of Regal Mountain. We are supposed to make it as far up the mountain as we can before nightfall, and then camp out of sight. The third day will be the hardest, but then we will get to the top and speak directly with the Queen.”

“And you’re sure she’s gonna know exactly where MZD is?” Retsu asked.

“As well as getting our world back?” Timer asked next.

Hiumi nodded. “I trust Pastel-kun. He loves this world, and well -- he’s kind of like us with the pop’n world, like a caretaker of Reflesia. That’s why he couldn’t come with us. He wants to see us succeed and to help save our world, but he also has to take care of this world as well.”

“Do you think…” Rinka trailed off. “What do you think the Phantom Kamen’s plan is?” That raised a lot of other questions as they journeyed onward. Who was he? Why did he steal all of the pop-kun? Could he also travel between dimensions? Would he attack them in Reflesia? The worst part was not having the answers.

Thankfully Retsu, Hiumi, Rinka, and Fuga already had a rapport going, so they talked and traded stories most of the way through the valley. When they got to the forest’s edge, Hiumi directed them to put two tents up under tree cover. “Pastel-kun did say there were monsters, so one of us should sit watch. But if we hide, we should be fine.”

It was too warm for a fire to see by, so they divided rations and then separated themselves into their tents. Natsuki found herself sleeping between Hiumi and Rinka, trying her best to close her eyes, distracted by the outdoor sounds all around her. Timer, once again left out, barely slept at all.


	3. Follow the path

The path through the Dense Forest was hard to follow, as it was marked by ribbons tied around trees. The group of six had to step over vines, around tree trunks, and sometimes had to climb over bushes to make it through. There was no time for stories and they stopped only once at a clearing that barely fit all of them. Retsu started to get upset with how long it was taking and started throwing fireballs through the air. But instead of catching everything on fire, the scorched vines grew back in an instant.

“Isn’t there a way to do this faster?”

“The plants are here to pose a threat,” Rinka said. “They will not move when I speak to them.”

“Well, then we just have to keep going,” Timer said as he tripped on yet another tree root.

They continued like this for some time, until the vines beneath their feet turned to rocks. Suddenly, the forest ended, and a clear path was visible leading toward an uphill rock slope. When Natsuki looked up, she could see that the rocks continued, with a few trees dotting the craggy mountain ahead. “Woah!”

“How are we going to be able to camp on a mountain like that?” Retsu scratched his head. “This isn’t anything like the hills I remember from Lapistoria.”

“Like it or not,” Hiumi said, “we’re gonna have to climb that thing. And Pastel-kun said the sooner we start, the further we get, the safer we will be after nightfall.”

They helped each other up the ledge and then followed the path, which was narrow but enough for them to walk on together. The path sloped upward and around the mountain, and as they walked, they could see Reflesia shrink below them. Natsuki could see the Dense Forest, and past that the valley that led to the town they had left the day before. Even farther away than that were more forests, mountains off in the distance, and a winding river that led to the sea. “Look!”

Everybody looked out over the expansive vista as they walked up the mountain. “It's a beautiful view,” Hiumi commented. “Pastel-kun's world is certainly one of wonder.”

“Man, if we had a little more time, I’d say we should go flying! What do you think, Fuga? Could you elevate us to new heights?” Retsu asked.

Fuga smirked. “I doubt you would enjoy that as much as you think you would.”

“Aw, come on, man!” This provoked laughs from the rest of the group.

Hiumi led the way further up the mountain until she found a landing point. “Let’s stop here for the night. If we set up our tents behind this rock, it should provide enough cover that monsters and such don’t find us.”

“Good, because I’m exhausted.” Timer slipped to his knees, dropping all of his materials and Navi-kun in the process.

Natsuki frowned. “Everybody except Timer, let’s put these tents up. Timer, you deserve a good, long rest. It’s not easy carrying all that up the mountain.”

Hiumi frowned, but then nodded. “The four of us are used to traveling together and understand that, in order to use our powers, we must have good conditioning. Natsuki is new to this world…” She paused. “Well, we’re all new to this world. But she seems to be doing okay with her one bag and walking.”

“So remind me why I got stuck carrying all of the bags with this heavy chain mail?” Timer whined.

“Because if something attacked us, we can’t wait for us to drop the equipment while we ready our magic powers,” Rinka explained. “We can’t just shout out some magic words. It takes a lot of energy. You’re keeping our supplies safe.”

“And when we get to the top of the mountain and talk with the Queen of Reflesia, we’ll make sure you and all of us get a nice long _onsen_ soak,” Retsu said with a grin. “Even if I have to heat that water myself!”

They put up their two tents and shared rations and water, shielded from the outside elements by the rocks around them. Hiumi volunteered to watch first guard, then Natsuki volunteered to sit out. When the rest had gone to bed, she sneaked around the rocks and held on for dear life as she looked out over Reflesia. Millions of stars twinkled over her head with a clear night sky.

She sat for a while and thought to herself, taking her gloves off her paws and touching her fingers together. If she concentrated, there would be a spark, and she could call forth just a small bit of her power. Hiumi had told her that, once all of this was said and done and they had rescued the pop’n world, she would teach her how to use her powers along with the rest of the Tsugidoka. And then maybe she would finally find her place in the world.

She’d have to talk to Me first, though. I know there were questions she wanted answers to, like: Where did she get these powers, anyway? And why did she arrive in pop’n town that way? Did she have memories of anything before then? I had the answers she sought, but she had to ask Me first.

“How’s the watch?” She turned and saw Timer, sans chain mail, still in the outfit from their _hanami_ excursion. He looked tired, but was still smiling.

“It’s good.”

“I’m here to take over. I know I can’t do much, but I can scream, so...there’s that.”

“That’s more than enough. I’m sure it’s really helpful. It was last night.”

“Well, no offense...we get a better view tonight.” He looked out over Reflesia. “Am I right?”

“You are.” She got up from her seat and felt her skirt blow up, then fell forward onto the ground. When she turned, she saw a huge shadow blocking out the stars. With a flap of its powerful wings, it flew higher into the sky, and Natsuki squinted to try to see what it was.

She heard Timer yell, “Dragon!!!” around the same time she noticed it was diving straight for her.


	4. Dracophobia

The dragon was massive, with red scales that flashed in the moonlight and huge teeth. It roared as it flew up high, then dove straight for Natsuki.

“Get down!” Timer yelled, running toward Natsuki, but it was too late. The dragon had grabbed Natsuki in its mouth, then tossed her in the air, spinning like a rag doll. Timer’s mind immediately went into panic mode. How had he not seen this? This was all his fault --

A great wind came from behind him and caught Natsuki, pushing her toward a higher ledge. Timer turned and saw Fuga was awake, with the rest of the gang. “Thanks for alerting us,” Rinka said, then turned toward the dragon.

Natsuki found her footing, then stood up just as the dragon flew toward her again. She held out her hands and pressed her fingers together, causing an ungrounded shock that temporarily blinded the dragon and knocked her back off her feet. She heard the yells from downwind -- “Snow Prism!” “Crimson Flame!” -- and fire and ice, neither one nice, flew against the dragon and kept him away.

She looked around for an escape, but the ledge Fuga had put her on had no connection to the path. She would have to stay put for now, in clear view of the dragon.

The dragon spread its great wings and flew up and above the attacks being thrown at it. It roared, then flew toward Natsuki again, but this time, she was prepared. She hummed to herself and began to glow, then flung her fists forward. Lightning bolts zapped out of her and toward the dragon, who evaded the attacks.

She gritted her teeth. What was up with this monster? He was evading everything they threw at them!

The dragon came closer to Natsuki, but this time did not attack. Then, he spoke. “You have great power, but not the power I seek. You must Reflec.”

“Great power? I don’t understand.”

“I am the keeper of this mountain. Those who wish to climb it must defeat me first. Therefore, you must Reflec. Battle against me, and if you win, you will be permitted to pass.”

“Well, it would have been great if Pastel-kun would have told us this before!” Hiumi called out from below.

Natsuki paused and thought for a moment. The word felt odd in her mouth. _Reflec?_ It didn’t sound like it was in the right language. “What does it mean to Reflec?”

The dragon spread his wings, and both he and Natsuki were caught up in a great wind. Lights of pink and blue surrounded them. “The art of Reflec is one of the great mysteries of this land,” the dragon explained. “All warriors are trained in the art. What is your name, child?”

“Natsuki. I come from the world of pop’n music. It is in trouble, and Pastel-kun said the Queen could help.” She felt nervous speaking, but the dragon seemed to be interested in _her._

“If you have never participated in Reflec, then you will most certainly fail. But I will wish you good luck.” With another flap of his wings, the dragon glowed pink and Natsuki glowed blue. Then, without warning, a screen appeared in front of Natsuki, just as if she was playing a pop’n battle with Milk or Mimi. There were no buttons, just a screen with a line at the bottom and at the top.

With no warning, there were suddenly pink and blue orbs on the screen as well as in real life. The dragon waved his wings, and two blue orbs went whizzing through the air towards Natsuki. She took her eyes off the screen and ducked as they crashed into the mountain. Was this dragon crazy? If this was some sort of strange pop’n battle, how could she concentrate if she was being attacked?

_...wait._ If this reminded her of a pop’n battle, then maybe she should treat it like one. She got up and looked at the screen again, noticing that there were orbs not unlike pop-kun on the screen just like the ones the dragon had thrown at her. Was this the source of Reflesia’s power, just as the pop-kun from the Tree helped keep pop’n music alive? Would the Phantom Kamen come for this as well?

She looked at the screen again and watched the blue orbs fall, and instead of worrying about the threat of attack, she followed them with her fingers. What buttons should she push when they reached the bottom line? There weren’t any magic buttons in front of her like there were with the pop-kun.

When the orbs crashed into the mountain again, her paw fell forward and touched the screen. The nearest blue orb disappeared, and Natsuki realized: _the screen was the button!_ She caught the next blue orb and pushed right on the line, and the real life orb in the sky disappeared before it could crash near her. Even more orbs flew toward her, the speed increasing, and she focused as much as she could, pushing on the line. There were a few that she missed, but soon, it became just like a pop’n battle...with no buttons, less color, and an actual threat of death.

With no warning, the screen disappeared, and the orbs were gone. Natsuki finally looked up. The mountainside was still cracked, but now seemed to be more stable. The dragon was still flapping his wings. “Well done. This was not a victory, but for somebody who has never participated in Reflec before, I admire your skill. I consider you passed.”

Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief as the dragon opened one of his claws, and she jumped on. He lowered her back down to her friends. “I don’t know what you just did,” Rinka said as she hugged Natsuki, “but that was awesome!”

“Since you have passed, I will take you straight to the top of the mountain after you have rested. Once you arrive, you may hold court with the Queen,” the dragon said.

“If it is not too bold to ask,” Hiumi said, “we must rest for the remainder of the night.”

“Then I will stand guard and ensure no one else attacks you. Rest, weary travelers.”


	5. LOVE IS BLIND

The six got good rest that night -- save for Timer, who still couldn’t sleep -- and were wide awake the next morning. It was a clear day, not a cloud in the sky, and the view was even more amazing than the day before.

The dragon had flown near their camp all night to protect them, and as he promised, he flew them up two by two to the top of the mountain. Then, with a flap of his wings and some nice words exchanged, he flew off.

The top of the mountain was relatively flat, with the true top overhead. In front of the six was a massive castle, even more massive than Timer’s mansion. “Well, this is one way to live,” Retsu commented as they stepped through the main gate and into the grand hall. Curtains and stained glass windows gave the hall a regal feel, but it seemed to go on for hours, with no end in sight.

Unseen trumpets blasted, and the doors slammed behind them. “Welcome to the Royal Court of Reflesia,” a deep voice boomed out. “Who dares tread these sacred halls?”

“We do,” Hiumi called out. “We seek the Queen of Reflesia, for she may have some information we need. Our homeland is in danger.”

“Very well. Those who pass up the mountain may speak with the Queen.” Out of nowhere, two huge doors opened, letting more light into the hall. Hiumi and the others ran through the doors to the throne room. Huge banners hung from the rafters, light streamed through the catacombs, and a tall woman with long hair sat on an elaborate throne.

“Come closer,” she called out, and the six walked across the floor as if there was no space between them at all. She looked out over the crowd. “You are not from here.”

“We are not, if I may be so bold to speak.” Hiumi gave the Queen a bow, and the others followed suit. “We come from pop’n music, because our world is in grave danger. I am friends with Pastel-kun, who frequently travels to our world --”

“SILENCE!” The Queen stood from her throne, and the others looked up. “You speak in lies. There is no possible way you could be from another world. You must leave here at once.”

“But --” Hiumi bit her tongue. There was no way she felt comfortable speaking back to a Queen.

Timer threw his bags onto the ground. “Okay, look, that smarts! We got all the way here and met up with Pastel-kun and we’re just trying to find this Em Seedee guy and get the color back to our world. You don’t have to be so mean about it.”

“Timer!” Rinka hissed. There went any chance of the Queen being nice at all.

But she sat back on her throne. “MZD, is that right?”

“If you don’t mind us being so bold,” Natsuki said, “He made our world, and -- now, someone’s stolen all the color from it. And we know MZD can help, but He’s disappeared.”

The Queen was silent for just a moment. And then: “If you can defeat me in a Reflec battle, then I shall listen to your plea.”

Everybody looked at Natsuki. “Well, I suppose one time is better than no times of experience,” she said as she stepped forward. “I was the one who fought the dragon on the mountain. I suppose I will be Reflec battling with you.”

“Then so it shall be.” With a wave of her hand, a great wind swept through the hall and pushed Timer, Hiumi, Rinka, Retsu, and Fuga out, closing the doors on them. The Queen stepped down from her throne. “What is your name, little lion?”

She gulped. “My name is Natsuki.”

“Very well. Let us see if it is time.” From nowhere, the music began, and Natsuki prepared herself for the screen in front of her. This time, there were no big orbs around her, but the floor below her lit up with the same screen, and she could almost see the pink and blue orbs traveling in lines there. She forced herself to focus, just like she had with the dragon. Getting the Queen’s help depended on this.

She focused on the notes. There were so many of them this time! It was like she was playing a level of pop’n that she had never seen before. Practicing with Milk had made her better, able to reach the notes in time, but she was nowhere near as good as anybody else yet. This...this was more on Milk’s level, or even on Mimi and Nyami’s! How could she even hope to beat the Queen at her own game?

_Patience,_ she told herself. _Remember what Milk taught you. Focus on the notes, not your opponent!_

She let herself focus on the lines and the beat, pressing on the line just as she had before. When there were too many notes, she focused on the ones she could hit, not worrying about her combo. She realized that there were notes that she had to hold, which she had never seen in a pop’n battle before, and some that went to different places on the screen for her to touch. All ten of her fingers flew around the screen as the floor lit up, and the Queen fought back against her own pink orbs on the screen.

She realized she was holding her breath, hesitated, then realized whoever was singing sounded a lot like Timer. It reminded her of how full of life he had appeared on stage, singing to all those people at pop’farre -- and how his voice had been silenced by the Phantom Kamen. He could never sing on stage like that again if _she didn’t focus._

She took a deep breath, hummed to herself, then almost as if by rote, her fingers flew again, faster this time, right where they needed to be. Her combo racked up, broke, then racked up again. Hold notes, then several in a row, then slamming her fingers on the bars that fell down toward the line, then -- for a split second she felt like somebody was beside her. She turned and broke her combo right at the end, but nobody was there.

“You did not pass.” The Queen crossed the now-barren floor as the screens disappeared. “You didn’t even stand a chance against me. But I can see that there is a skill in you that can be improved with luck. And I can sense that your world is in danger. Therefore, I will still give you the information you seek.”


	6. SigSig

“Before the others come back into the room,” the Queen told Natsuki, “may I ask where you come from?”

Natsuki opened her mouth to answer, then stopped. “Do you mean pop’n music, or…?”

“I am the Queen of Reflesia, a world that MZD made. He is the creator of many, many worlds in this universe. While I do not traverse worlds, I know of pop’n music’s existence from Pastel-kun. And there seems to be something...different about you, that sets you apart from the others.”

Natsuki figured she might as well ask. “I fell into the world a couple of weeks ago, and I don’t remember anything from before then. Do you know where I come from? Do I have memories?”

She shook her head. “That is an answer I do not have, but I do know who might have it for you. Come, we should invite the others in.”

The end hall doors opened again, and the others ran in, led by Timer. “Did you win?”

“Yes and no.” Natuski grinned. “I’m not that good at Reflec battling, apparently. But she still said I passed.”

“For somebody not from this world, she shows quite an adept skill,” the Queen said, sitting back on her throne. “I will give you the information you seek.”

Hiumi stood forward. “Your Highness, a mysterious being known simply as the Phantom Kamen has stolen all of the life from pop’n music. We need to find MZD so He can come help us, and we need to stop the Phantom Kamen once and for all. We are the only survivors, and we don’t know if the Phantom Kamen can traverse between worlds like I know Pastel-kun has. It was a miracle we got here in the first place.”

“We used this,” Timer said, pointing to the currently-asleep Navi-kun.

The Queen nodded. “Here is what I know. MZD is not in this world. He communicates what He needs to both Pastel-kun and myself on a semi-regular basis. We have not heard from Him for a while, but there can be weeks, months before we hear again from Him, so this is expected. pop’n music is the first of the worlds He created, which has its own world keepers, Mimi and Nyami.”

“They’re frozen, too.” Timer fought back tears, thinking of Nyami’s face as she turned to stone.

“From what I understand, MZD prefers to keep to the pop’n world, and ventures away from it solely when He is needed. To not have Him there in times of crisis is most concerning.” She clapped her hands, and a white ball of light appeared. The glow faded to reveal Pastel-kun. “Pastel-kun, your friends have traversed Reflesia well.”

“Pastel-kun!” Hiumi took the mouse into her arms again as he giggled.

“Wait.” Retsu looked confused. “Could Pastel-kun have just poofed us up here? Why’d we have to travel like that?”

“All warriors in Reflesia must travel. After all, the journey is greater than the destination. Those with magic powers in Reflesia are few and far between, as I’m sure it is the same in your world. It is your will that matters. Pastel-kun, I take it you enjoy being with Hiumi?”

“This is the girl I told you about,” Pastel-kun said. “The one with all the sweets!”

The Queen gave a sad smile. “I think you’ll be able to spend even more time with her. We should focus on ensuring that can happen. I may not know where MZD is, and we have not received any reports of mysterious phantoms stealing energy away. But MZD is not the only one who can help.”

There were gasps among the crowd. “He’s not?” Timer asked.

The Queen shook her head. “There is a world that MZD Himself did not create, a world that exists in this same universe. Every other world is secondary to that world, the golden land created by the Blessed Trinity. But that world is radically different than Reflesia, or also from what I have heard of pop’n music. The darkness and chaos is strong there, but those who live there have learned to tame the chaos and make it their own. Whereas in Reflesia, we fight against darkness.”

“And I’m not sure anybody really knew what true darkness was in pop’n music before the Phantom Kamen arrived,” Hiumi said. “We knew better, because we saw Lapistoria. Your Highness, if we travel to this world, will we find the answers we seek?”

“It is rumored that this dark world is the same world that MZD Himself came from,” the Queen stated. “The legends tell of a golden star that fell from the sky to bring destruction to that world. Upon arriving, she saw all of the chaos and said that it was good, and decided not to destroy it. To this day, this alien, Tran, lives in the dark world, and travels frequently to all other worlds to help MZD with His work. If we cannot find MZD, then we must find Tran. She will know how to best proceed with your situation. I’m surprised you do not know of her already, although she may have solely been in contact with Mimi and Nyami. MZD likes to limit His footprint.”

“So we have to find Tran, and she’ll know where MZD is?”

“Yes.”

Hiumi nodded. “Timer, boot up Navi-kun. Did Tran leave anything of importance here? We can’t travel anywhere unless we have something of theirs.”

“Oh, not to worry, travelers. While I do not have the power to leave, I know Pastel-kun has the coordinates to Tran’s world. And I shall lend you any power you may need.”

“At least maybe that way we won’t all pass out while teleporting between worlds,” Rinka noted. “We shouldn’t waste time. Your Highness, thank you so much for this information!”

“Oh, do not go yet.” The Queen grinned. “It is right that you should save your world, but those who have conquered the mountain deserve a brief celebration.” And so, the Queen called in her servants, and a grand lunch feast was held in the dining room. The six sat and ate for a while, relaxing and finally without their armor on. Hiumi told of their travels, and Natsuki recounted how they had defeated the dragon who guarded the mountain.

Finally, the six formed the same formation they had when they had left pop’n music, with the Tsugidoka crew making a circle and Timer and Navi-kun in the middle. “The dark world is more advanced than Reflesia, so you will not need your armor or supplies,” the Queen stated. “Simply find Tran as quickly as you can.”

“We will,” Hiumi said, giving Pastel-kun a quick hug before rejoining the circle. The Queen raised her hand and began to glow, giving all of her power to Navi-kun. The rest joined hands, and this time, the power took hold more quickly, and they were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this, all of the REFLEC BEAT chapters have been updated. No clue on a timeframe for the rest of things, but since the story is completed, I would just stay tuned.


	7. Seaside Labyrinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like posting more, so this is the next world.

When the light faded, Natsuki and the others found themselves in the middle of a paved road in a forest. It was nighttime, and there were no stars out. “Well, this certainly is a dark world,” Hiumi said, noticing there wasn’t any sign of life.

Timer turned Navi-kun back off and strapped him to his back. “Anybody got a flashlight?”

“Maybe Natsuki can use her electricity powers to light the way,” Rinka said.

“Maybe I can be a human torch instead.” Retsu held up his fist, which caught fire. “Which way do we go? We’re on a bit of a slope. Do we go up or down?”

“We must find Tran first,” Fuga noted.

Natsuki held up her paw. stopping them. “Wait a moment. I hear something.”

The others were quiet, and sure enough, there was some sort of low rumbling that could be heard around them. Then, the rumbling turned into a roar, and a bright light came straight toward them. Loud music started playing from out of nowhere, fast paced, with brash, obnoxious lyrics.

_Gas gas gas!_

_I'm gonna step on the gas, tonight I'll fly and be your lover_

_Yeah yeah yeah!_

_I'll be so quick as a flash and I'll be your hero_

“What is that?” Natsuki heard Hiumi scream, and she couldn’t wait any longer. If this monster was attacking them, she had to think fast, just like with the dragon.

She hummed along with the song, then threw as much power as she could at this new, strange monster. The massive lightning bolt connected with a _bang!_ and sent the monster flying across the road, the music skipping to a halt. It came to rest against a tree and caught fire, and that was when Natsuki realized the monster was made of metal -- a car?? Only a few people had cars in pop’n Town, and they looked nothing like _this!_ This was all fancy and sleek and --

A tall man with crazy blonde hair got out of the car. “What do you think you’re doing! Get out of my way” His hands formed fists and he advanced toward Natsuki. “This is a race! Get off the road!”

Natsuki put her paws up in front of her face. “Don’t hurt me!”

Hiumi held her own hand up. _“Snow Prism!”_ Ice crystals came out of nowhere and froze the road in front of her. They also froze the man’s feet to the ground.

“Keep your hands off her!” Retsu yelled. “We’ve been through enough already!”

“Oh, yeah? How about I don’t have to deal with you meddling kids getting in the way of our race!”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Out of nowhere, someone jumped down from the dark hills and landed in front of Natsuki. Her hair was long and purple, and the outfit she wore reminded Natsuki of something Timer might wear...if he would ever wear a dress.

“Didn’t anybody tell you Seaside Lane is closed for tonight’s race --” She paused. “You guys look like you’re from pop’n music! Like Mimi and Nyami!”

The others gasped. “You know Mimi and Nyami?” Timer asked. “Then you can help us!”

“Celica,” the other man said, “these fools --”

“Leave it, Nix.” The girl held her hand up. “There is something odd at play here. They shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re right. We shouldn’t. We’ve come to look for Tran.” Hiumi gave the purple haired girl a quick bow. “I am Hiumi of pop’n music. We’ve come to your world to look for Tran. We heard she might be here.”

“Oh, Tran’s totally here.” The girl grabbed a radio from her skirt and spoke into it. “Code 420. I repeat, Code 420. This is not an emergency situation. Please report back to headquarters.” She put the radio back. “Everybody around here knows Tran. So if you need Tran, we’ll get you to her. I’m Celica, by the way! Did you just arrive in the middle of our race?”

“We did,” Natsuki said, looking back at the car. “I’m sorry I exploded your car.”

Celica frowned. “That’s quite the mess...but I’m sure Tran can help us with that, too. She doesn’t really approve of our racing, but she can’t complain THAT much. We’re not supposed to be racing like this. It’s illegal.”

“Yeah, but that’s the fun of it!” Nix said.

“Are you all right?” another voice said, and everybody turned to see another girl with long orange hair, dressed even more scantily than Celica. She stopped when she saw Natsuki and the others. “Hey, wait --”

“They’re from pop’n music. We need to find Tran. Can you radio her?”

The other girl pulled out another communicator. “Can somebody tell Tran to meet us at HQ when she gets off her shift? Just meet her at Exchange Place.” She sighed and shook her head. “Impossible getting a hold of her when she’s down in those tunnels.”

“These days Tran spends more time driving on the Copula line than playing IIDX.” Celica looked back at the others. “Hiumi, I take it you’re the leader of your group?”

“I seem to have become,” Hiumi said with a shrug. “There’s a lot of danger in our world right now. Have you heard of MZD?”

Celica shook her head. “But I bet Tran knows. Tran knows everybody in New Tokyo. Let’s get off this mountain and get back to Shinjuku.”

“Uh, that’s great and all, but…” Nix shrugged. “How are we gonna get the car back?”

“We’ll worry about that later,” the second girl said, kneeling in front of Natsuki. “You guys really came all the way from another world?”

“Yeah, I go to pop’n music on occasion. Haven’t as of recent, though.” Celica begrudgingly spoke into her radio again. “Someone send a golf cart up. We’re gonna have to have Daruma tow this later.”


	8. air

Three golf carts soon arrived, each driven by one of Celica’s friends. Natsuki jumped onto one with Celica, Hiumi, and Rinka, and they were off, driving down the same path Nix had been driving up. “Daruma and Tsugaru will be up later to tow the car,” Celica explained. “This happens more often than you think. Rally races are super fun, and the guys are really passionate about it right now, but they’re also super dangerous. I’d say they’ll be onto something else in about a year or so. For a while it was like every day was summer. Then they staged this huge L.A.R.P. war, with explosives and everything. And for a while there, we couldn’t tell if we were in the present day or not. Thankfully that’s over.”

“This seems like an interesting, if dark, world,” Rinka noted.

Celica nodded. “Well, at least it’s always changing.”

They drove slowly over winding roads, the golf cart's front lights piercing through the darkness. They took it so slow because of the hill's decline. Then, with no warning, the trees around them separated and a huge city could be seen in the near distance. With it being night, everything was lit up in a million colors, bright lights as far as the eye could see and tall buildings reaching toward the sky.

“Welcome to New Tokyo,” Celica said with a smile. “We’ll be heading to our secret hideout.”

They drove from the bottom of the mountain to the city, through side streets and suddenly found themselves in the middle of Shinjuku. Surprisingly, nobody seemed it odd that a couple of golf carts were on the road in the middle of such a busy city. “New Tokyo has so many people, but everybody knows us,” Celica said. “People live in respect to the gods here, and they also know the story behind Tran. So all of Tran’s friends are treated with respect.”

“Except when we’ve been doing those illegal races,” the girl driving the golf cart said.

“Yeah, yeah, we know, Nyah. Thanks for the reminder.”

“You’re welcome!”

They took a back alley and drove down it, which finally opened up into a bigger alley space that dead ended. There was room for lots of cars to park back here, and Natsuki could see other race cars much like the one she had wrecked parked along the building’s side. Nyah parked the golf cart, then turned the battery off, and they disembarked. The city’s roar surrounded them on all sides, people and cars and busy and noise kept away by this secret alley.

Celica opened a side sliding door that led to a service elevator. “This way.”

Natsuki followed Hiumi and Rinka and stepped in. “The others will be right behind us. I told Nix that we needed snacks for everybody. I’ve had _katsudon_ in pop’n music before, I presume that’s okay?”

“More than fine,” Rinka said as the open-air elevator descended into darkness, past brick walls and cables until the view cleared. Natsuki noticed there was sound coming from the basement, and turned and saw arcade machines all set up in a row, all in a dimly lit room with tables everywhere. There were people playing on the machines, racing motorcycles and playing air hockey and ping pong. She knew what it was, but was certain she hadn’t seen anything like it before.

The elevator passed another wall before stopping, then Celica opened the door. “All call!” she yelled out.

The people playing arcade games left them behind, forgetting about their credits and surrounding the elevator. There was quite a group of them. “Welcome to our underground home,” Celica told Hiumi and the others. “Friends, we are in the middle of an unprecedented event. We have visitors from another world!”

The humans were much taller than Natsuki or any of the others from pop’n music, all dressed in the latest trends and with hair all colors of the rainbow. They talked amongst themselves. Of course you could traverse worlds, Tran did it all the time. But it was rare to have someone new come here, to New Tokyo!

“We are not sure if Tran knows about this yet,” Celica noted. “But I know we’ve told her. I’d like for us to all meet together to see how we can help our new friends.”

The elevator rattled again as it came back down, this time with Timer, Fuga, Retsu, and Nix. “ _Katsudon_ for everybody on the house!” he yelled, and everybody around cheered. Bottles of Ramune and Sapporo were opened. A high schooler bought out an entire box of Pocky, passing it around. Natsuki took a box and looked down at it, then tried it. It was very simple but very effective, just like something she would have had at Nijiiro Sweets Shoppe.

She felt a tear in her eye, and then heard a voice. “Don’t cry. You’re safe now.”

She looked up and saw a tall man, a fair bit older than the rest of the teenagers and college students in the arcade. The noise surrounded her, but for a moment, it felt like she and the man were the only two in the place. His eyes were kind, and he had a work apron on with the shop logo. She struggled to find the words. “Have we met before?”

“We have not. Trust me, I would know if I had. Do you believe we have met before?”

Natsuki almost shook her head, but she couldn’t tell anymore. “I don’t remember where I came from. Perhaps you would know?”

His eyes softened. “So it is true. What is your name, little lion?”

“Natsuki. I come from pop’n music. We all do.”

“We are looking for MZD,” Hiumi explained, “and we have been told that Tran might have answers to his whereabouts.”

“Our world got taken over, and only he can save us,” Timer chimed in.

At the mention of My name, the arcade owner’s ears perked up. “If you are looking for Him, that means He would have to be gone in the first place. You are right that Tran will have answers. The hard part is getting a hold of her, as she is as mysterious as MZD is. In the meantime, I am Yuz, and I will open both my house and my arcade to you. Anything that you need, please do not hesitate to ask for it. You may stay here as long as you need, and we will help you form a plan to get both MZD and your world back.”


	9. e-motion

First up on our heroes’ list was to find new outfits -- after all, they could not travel freely around New Tokyo in their armor. It simply was not practical.

They ate the _katsudon_ that arrived and headed out with Iroha, the other girl who had been with them at Seaside Lane. Iroha took them through Shinjuku, on an underground train to Harajuku. When they came topside, the streets were even more aglow than Shinjuku, with trendy kids running around in neon colors. Timer’s red eyes lit up for the first time since he had left pop’n music. Here were people who knew about _fashion!_

Iroha led the six to a dark store with locked doors. The grungy side read “ROOTS26” above the door. Iroha rapped on the door. “Shem, open up, damnit!”

The door opened, and a dark man with big hands and wild brown hair peered out. “What now, Iroha-chan?”

“Didn’t you get the message? Sheesh.” Iroha crossed her arms. “You don’t listen to anything anymore, do you --”

“OH MY STARS, IS THIS A BOUTIQUE???”

Everybody turned toward Timer, who had already entered despite there being no lights on and was ogling a pristine pair of designer pants. “Are these silk???”

Hiumi facepalmed. “Ahem. We need better clothes for these guys. Don’t ask questions, just put them in what you got best.”

“YOU MAKE CLOTHES???” Timer squealed so loud that Natsuki had to cover her cat ears. “I gotta commission something off of you! Do you make things in my size??” And as Shem entered the store, turned on the lights, and talked to Timer, Natsuki couldn’t help but smile. After three days of carrying heavy belongings in Reflesia, Timer seemed way more at home in New Tokyo.

By the end of their session, Retsu was back in jeans, Hiumi had picked out a long, flowing dress, Fuga was matching Retsu with a button-down, and Rinka had a cheongsam-inspired dress. Natsuki had on a black shirt with a yellow jacket, with belts everywhere and a mini-skirt that gave plenty of room for her tail. Timer, meanwhile, was 100% leather and spandex and in his element (minus the bunny hat).

“Are you seriously gonna have your vest open the entire time?” Retsu asked as they left the shop.

“Seriously.” Timer winked at Retsu. “You always have to look fabulous!”

They returned to Shinjuku, but this time did not head straight for the arcade. Instead, Iroha led them further down the street to a pumping nightclub, with a long line leading outside and strobe lights passing through the windows. The word “TRICORO” was written in small letters above the club, and Iroha poked the bouncer on the shoulder, who turned out to be Nix. “We’re back.”

Nix nodded and paved the way for the group, letting them directly into the nightclub. Crazy eurobeat played over the PA, played by what looked to be a Norwegian DJ. Kids of all nationalities were on the dance floor, grooving to the music together. Since the people of New Tokyo were a good bit taller than the pop’n music refugees, Natsuki couldn’t find Yuz or Celica anywhere.

“Have fun!” Iroha said. “Just don’t leave. Yuz will be here soon and make an announcement.” With that, she disappeared into the crowd. The song changed to something more hip-hop, and the entire club seemed to know the words:

_Picture me, I'm on top of my world now!_

_Picture me, I'm ahead of my game._

_Never stop, not for anyone, not now!_

_Gonna take you up all the same._

“Let’s show them how it’s done,” Retsu said, and before anybody could stop him, he launched into the most funky dance anybody had ever seen. Rinka and the others laughed, then Rinka began to sway in time with the music as well. The genre was ever-changing, going from hip-hop to samba to hardcore to pop to glitch jazz to genres Timer didn’t even know the names of. He watched Natsuki dance with Hiumi and wished he knew the words to some of these songs. Some of them he knew he could perform, as long as he knew it.

_Don’t stop the music! Don’t stop it!_

_This is tonight’s secret cue._

_Don’t stop the music! Is it possible for you to hear it?_

_Listen carefully…_

The partygoers clapped along with the beat, and Timer let himself dance just a bit. It was so strange, after years and years of being on stage, to be dancing in a crowd where nobody knew his name or who he was. The club had a similar energy to pop’farre, and as the song changed back to eurobeat, he felt like he could close his eyes and be home. But he wasn’t home -- he was a million light years away in New Tokyo, and Mimi and Nyami were still frozen --

“Timer!” And he felt Natsuki take his hands, pull him out of his trance and back to the dance floor. When she danced with him, it was more like jumping and being silly, but the smile on her face seemed to make it worthwhile. The beat dropped, the lights went crazy, and everybody pulsated to the beat together. Somewhere in the mix, Timer let himself go, and when he ended up right next to Natsuki, he found himself thinking something he hadn’t before.

The music went back to a basic four on the floor beat, and Yuz’s voice was heard. “All right, all right, how are we all doing tonight?” The crowd screamed, Natsuki skipped back over to Rinka, and the tension was forgotten. Timer turned his own attention to Yuz. “Here at TRICORO we party every night until the break of dawn! How about DJ Q-JACK!?” More cheers. “So I’ve got a few very special guests I’d like to introduce. Celica, can you come on up here and introduce them?”

Celica went up to the stage with Hiumi. “This is Hiumi, and she’s from the pop’n music world!” she called out. Everybody cheered. “She’s here with her friends tonight, so make sure that they all have a good time, okay? Welcome them to New Tokyo properly!” The noise was almost deafening as the crowds cheered for the newcomers.

“You better be excited.” The music snapped off, and the lights went out, and Natsuki recognized the voice. “Because it will be a welcome that will last for eternity!”


	10. Music Is The Answer

With no warning, the Phantom Kamen, in all of his glory, jumped onto the stage and held up his hands. “Spread, my _Teiden Kage_! Poison this sea of revelers!”

The crowd scattered, running as the shadows leapt from around them. There was about five seconds of chaos until Natsuki heard a record scratch, then Yuz’s voice spoke over the insanity. “Well, this sounds interesting! Who do we have here?”

“Do not play games with me!” The Phantom Kamen tried to steal Yuz’s microphone. “I am here to bring you into darkness!”

Yuz laughed. “We are the darkness. DJs, assemble!”

All of Yuz’s friends jumped up from the crowd and onto different areas of the stage. They surrounded the dance floor. Nix stood at the door, arms crossed, unwilling to let people out or in.

“Card in!” Yuz lifted his hand high, and in it Natsuki could see a black card. He slammed his hand down on an invisible surface, which expanded and unfolded itself in grey lines around him. The others did the same, and out of nowhere, new platforms assembled themselves. The lines solidified and became speakers, arm rests, chrome bars, spotlights. Yuz stood behind the platform as the front became two sets of turntables, different than the DJ booth for the party, each with a set of seven keys.

The space above the turntables lit up with a hologram, listing backward words that Natsuki could not read. Yuz pushed a bunch of buttons in rapid succession, and Natsuki watched as the others did as well, all in a line. Celica put on a pair of headphones, standing at the turntable to the right. Nix straddled both lines and put both of his hands on each of the sets of buttons. Iroha stood to the right of her machine.

“What are those things?” Hiumi asked in wonder.

“We are the warriors of the night,” Yuz announced over the loudspeaker in the dark, over the music that was now humming in the background. “The gift given to us by the Blessed Trinity is ours for the taking, to be used internally and externally as we each elevate ourselves and each other toward our ultimate goal.” He held up his hand again. “For the ultimate system, Beatmania Deluxe Version! Toward Eternal Kaiden!”

“Toward Eternal Kaiden!” the others yelled.

“What is Eternal Kaiden?” the Phantom Kamen called out, but Yuz was already pushing more buttons, the screen ever changing as the others’ holographic screens did the same. There was a flash of red and green, and then the screens stabilized.

“And now we will show you...that Music Is The Answer!”

A song began to play over the speakers, and the arcade kids began to scratch. But instead of artistic scratching, at their own liberty, they all scratched together at the same time. Their fingers flew over the keys next to the turntable, pushing buttons and creating sound effects, a choir of scratch artists. The music soared to a new beat, pulsating with synths leading to a solo melody.

“Timer, is that what I think it is?”

Timer had been lost in the music, trying not to panic since the Phantom Kamen had somehow found his way to New Tokyo. He snapped out of his daze, focusing on the situation at hand. Natsuki pointed to Iroha’s turntable machine, to the hologram that was on it. They weren’t multi-colored, but there were still notes falling from the top of the screen. “That’s pop’n, isn’t it?”

He looked closer. “It kind of is, isn’t it?”

“But the notes don’t look exactly the same.” Natsuki ran away from Timer, toward Iroha and her turntable set, looking at her making music, synced with the others on the floor.

“Do you want to play, too?” Iroha asked. “You’ll have to play at my difficulty.”

“I...I think I could handle it.”

Iroha pushed the button on the turntable’s left side, and another identical screen popped up with notes falling down. Natsuki looked down at the keys and then back up, trying to follow where they were going. Without colors, it became much harder for her to follow. But at least she could get the turntable right, watching Iroha spin hers when needed and doing the same.

She put both paws on the buttons and pressed them carefully. This wasn’t like pop’n, where her entire paw would go to the notes; her fingers could dance over the keys if she actually knew how to play. There were so many notes that she had trouble following, missing several to the point where her screen said “POOR” over and over again. Maybe this wasn’t like pop’n after all…

She looked over at Iroha, whose eyes were on the screen. Looking down, she noticed that Iroha was playing with only one hand on the keys, and her right hand on the turntable. Looking down at her own paw, she looked back up and did the same, feeling four lower keys and three higher keys underneath the pads on her fingers.

When she looked up, it all made sense. Something inside of her mind clicked, and her fingers flew, pushing each key, then holding in time with the music. The song continued, fading into another one, and Natsuki forgot all about Iroha, and the other players, and Timer, and the Phantom Kamen. Only this existed, the music and the unyielding pursuit of Eternal Kaiden.

There was a crash, and then, “That’s enough!”

The music stopped, and the lights turned back on. The Phantom Kamen screamed, then vanished into thin air.

The dance floor cleared out as someone extremely short stepped into the room. She was not human, with big glossy eyes and a pixie cut that looked plastic, wearing a mod dress and with no eyes or mouth. She looked up at Natsuki and Iroha, standing at the machine.

“Tran,” Iroha whispered.

Natsuki looked back at the alien. “This is Tran?”

“What you have witnessed here tonight is an apparition,” Tran said, though Natsuki couldn’t tell how she was saying it. She held out her hand to Natsuki. “Come, SYNESIRIS. The time has come for you to learn the truth.”


	11. THE EARTH LIGHT

The others stayed on the dance floor while Tran led Natsuki, Timer, Hiumi, Rinka, Fuga, and Retsu off the dance floor. Once away from the others, she held out her hand, automatically creating a blue swirling vortex portal. She stepped through, and the others, without any other option, followed.

They were led into a large dome with a see-through ceiling, up stairs to the main room. The walls were lined with shelves, stacked with books. A couple of strange looking couches, circular and plastic in shape, were placed with care along the edges. In one corner was a massive telescope, and in another corner across the way was a permanent version of the turntable Natsuki had played with. And above their heads, through the ceiling, were more stars in the night sky than Natsuki herself could name.

“Come closer. Do not be shy.” Tran walked toward a huge diorama in the middle, white in color. The diorama itself had many small buildings on it, lots clumped together in towns, as if the diorama was showing off a country with cities.

“Where are we?” Timer asked.

“You are in my abode, which transcends the borders of space and time. It was in this orbital vehicle that I first arrived in New Tokyo, hellbent on domination. However, my ears heard the music of this fair land, and I came to embrace its multitudes of differences. Now this is my home, and I protect not only it, but the other dimensions the eternal boy has created.”

“Eternal boy...you mean MZD?” Hiumi asked.

“You have journeyed far and wide to come here from pop’n music,” Tran said, her voice lilting and mysterious. “I take it you have noticed that MZD has disappeared?”

There were gasps. “You don’t know where he is _either?_ ” Retsu whined.

“Then how are we going to save pop’n Town?” Timer asked.

“Silence.” Tran stood near the diorama. “How much do you comprehend about your precious MZD? Are you in communion with Him, as I know Mimi and Nyami are? Or do you simply reside in His world, content to living your lives as happily as you can in a state of utopia? It is true that MZD has disappeared, and even I do not know where He has gone. In his absence, the masked man you have called the Phantom Kamen has descended upon the worlds, bringing darkness and pain. But darkness and pain already exist in New Tokyo, and he cannot bring what our inhabitants have already harnessed as theirs.”

“That doesn’t help pop’n Town, though.” Timer frowned. “Are we ever going to find MZD? And can we defeat the Phantom Kamen without Him?”

Tran jumped up and stood on the diorama. “Tell me what you see here. You see all of these places, connected by the white void in between them. These are the different worlds that MZD has created.”

Rinka squinted closer, then gasped. “There’s pop’n Town, with the Tree and The Shining Polaris!”

“Yes it is. And next to that is Reflesia, with the great mountain that the Queen lives on.” Hiumi followed the circle around. “And this must be New Tokyo, with all of the buildings.”

“It does not have to be, but you are correct. There are ten worlds that MZD has created, and He inhabits New Tokyo. As you may be able to see, there is a closed world next to pop’n World.”

Fuga looked at the sole black door, inhabiting a very empty space. “Lapistoria.”

“I cannot make worlds, though I have the power of dimension bending and mass effect. I may send anybody I like, including myself, from dimension to dimension.” Tran walked around the table. “These are the other dimensions MZD has created:

“The great city of Ace, widespread and with even a greater population than New Tokyo, wild and changing and a melting pot of culture;

“The four cities of Redbelk, Cyanttle, Greenesia, and Plumpark, making up the planet of Clan;

“The Grafica Art Gallery, a hidden world of collected art pieces;

“The World Stage, where those who enjoy rock and roll can play to their heart’s content together;

“The Forest of Otoca, where fashionable girls become stronger through music;

“The technological world of NEMSYS, home to Volax Academy; and

“The sweet, peaceful fields of Nostalgia.”

“MZD created all of these worlds?” Retsu asked. Every one looked different in its own way. Some of them were small -- the Grafica Art Gallery was one building, but others, like Ace City, were massive.

“Every one. Each world has its own purpose here, and He makes other worlds at His discretion.” Tran stopped in front of the lonely black door of Lapistoria. “And sometimes, He folds these worlds, never again to be visited.”

“In times of evil and of great discord, there are those who can assist. MZD has spoken of you four, the Tsugidoka, who rallied against Jade to bring peace to both pop’n Town and Lapistoria. But I do not know of the other two of you who have traveled thus far.” Tran’s eyes went to Timer. “You are from pop’n Town, and you have lived there a very long time.”

“I have.” Timer’s eyes were wide. “I am Timer, of Digi Rock Mansion.”

“You do not own a lapis, but your heart is in the right place. I am sure you are on this journey for a reason.” Tran turned to Natsuki. “And you shine with the light of the SYNESIRIS, straight and true, an arrow of light piercing the sky from the heavens.”

Timer’s mouth dropped open. “That -- that’s kind of what she did!”

“So you know about me?” Natsuki held her breath. “You know who I am??”

Tran walked over to one of her bookshelves and picked up a box, handing it to Natsuki. “Do not open this yet, but this is my gift to you. You will need this where I am sending you next. If you are here, then not only pop’n World, but the entire universe is in danger, as it has been foretold. It is your job, as the chosen SYNESIRIS, to heal this world of its hurt and to bring it back to light. But do not fear! This will be natural to you, and all you must do is stay true to yourself and stay with your friends on your journey. Once the balance has been restored between worlds, then you will be able to return home.”

 _Return home?_ “You mean…?”

“Do you not know where you came from?”

“I...I don’t remember anything, other than I crash landed at The Shining Polaris in pop’n Town, and have lived there since then. And I’ve been to Reflesia, and here in New Tokyo. Am I from New Tokyo?”

Tran looked back at the diorama. “It is possible that you are not from any of the worlds created by MZD. But none of that matters. You have the aura of a dimension traveler, with stardust in your eyes and the roar of eternity in your veins. As this is not your rightful home, you must return to the world you came from when your journey is over. If you do not, it is very possible that you will cease to exist here. Your purpose must be fulfilled, SYNESIRIS. Then and only then will the prophecy in your hands be fulfilled.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The worlds that Tran points out reflect the game versions that were active when this was written (2018).


	12. Chrono diver – fragment -

“You must take the scroll I gave you to Ace City,” Tran told the six as they left her spaceship and returned to the party. “It can be translated there. But I will request you stay in New Tokyo an extra day. Ace City is a beautiful world of happiness and light and energy, but like here, there are powerful warriors of song who should be able to defeat him. Once we gather allies in both worlds, we can determine how to defeat the Phantom Kamen. I will go ahead of you and reach out to my contacts there, but you must rest, even for just a day. You have been through much.”

They divided up into two groups again. Timer, Retsu, and Fuga went with Yuz to his family house on the edge of Shinjuku. Natsuki, Hiumi, and Rinka went with Iroha to her grandmother’s house on the other side of Shinjuku, near a shrine. They rested for the night, then met back up in the morning with Tran. “The world still continues here. People have jobs they go to, and school that they must attend. Please take this time to figure out how you will save your world.”

 _Well,_ Timer thought to himself as he followed the others, _Natsuki seems to have the ringer down on that. But Tran was going on about how she’s not from any of these worlds? And she’ll have to return to her home world when this is all said and done?_ He was so lost in thought that he passed by a clothing boutique, and Rinka had to point it out for him before he got excited.

Eventually, the six of them ended up at a traditional tea shoppe. “After we are sent to Ace City, Tran’s right,” Hiumi said. “We have to see how many allies we can get from all of the worlds. Perhaps it is in our best interest to travel to as many as possible. We already know that Pastel-kun will help us, and I’m confident that the Queen of Reflesia will assist as well.”

“And our new friends here seem dedicated to the cause,” Retsu noted. “And somehow immune to the Phantom Kamen!”

“I will make note of our allies. Maybe somebody outside these worlds can think of a way to defeat the Phantom Kamen, or perhaps somebody knows where MZD is. But we should also be ready to keep the Phantom Kamen at bay if he strikes again. What are some ways that we’ve done that?”

“Both have involved music,” Natsuki said. “Like last night, when everybody started playing that pop’n that wasn’t pop’n.”

“Yeah, what was that thing?” Timer asked. “You looked like you were really good at it. Better than pop’n, even.”

Natsuki shrugged. “Something called ‘beatmania.’ Whatever that means. Anyway, not only that, but Timer was saying when I sang to the Phantom Kamen that one time, it brought all the light back. And then there are our magic powers.”

“Not everybody with magic powers made it out of pop’n Town in one piece,” Hiumi said. “The four of us have stayed a unit since our days in Lapistoria. We may have our differences, but we work together as a team. I guess you’re kind of a fifth or sixth member, but it’s okay if you don’t see yourself as that.”

“That reminds me. What was that word Tran used to describe me?”

“SYNESIRIS.” The group grew quiet after Rinka said it. Nobody had ever heard a word like that before, and Tran hadn’t explained what it meant.

“SYNESIRIS?” Iroha asked the girls later when they were back at her house. “Hmm. I’ve never heard of that word before. It sounds kind of like ‘sirius,’ which is a star.”

“Which would make sense, since Natsuki is all about light, falling to the sky like a star, and lightning,” Hiumi said as she combed her hair.

“Guys, I’m not that special...am I?” Natsuki frowned in the mirror. “I’m just a cat girl who can’t remember where she’s from.” It bugged her as well, what Tran had said. She was looking forward to getting to Ace City and getting the scroll translated. When she opened it, nobody could understand the markings left there, but Tran had said they would know for sure once they got to Ace City who could translate it for them.

“You’re more than just a cat girl, all right.” Rinka smiled at Natsuki. “You’re our friend.”

“Aww, thanks.”

“So tell me if I’m wrong...but isn’t there something between you and Timer?”

Natsuki paused, not understanding. “What do you mean by something?”

“Sheesh, you know. Something romantic. I see the way he looks at you.”

“Oh, you mean dating! Yes, I know what that is, and no, Timer’s not interested in anybody that way right now. He had a girlfriend, but they broke up. He’s probably focused on getting her back into his life. I mean, that’s what Milk was saying, so…” Natsuki shrugged. “What do I know? I don’t even know what love is. Milk says it kind of feels like you’re floating on air all the time, but I’ve never felt that way except for when I was literally floating on air.”

“Love doesn’t have to be all hormones and crushes and mushy stuff.” Iroha squished her pillow. “It can be more sincere than that, wanting what is best for the other person above all else. I think with some people it takes a while to learn how to love, so don’t worry. You’ll find someone for yourself in time, I’m sure. You’re a lot of fun to be around! Why wouldn’t you?”

She thought about it while on the _futon_ later that night, as Hiumi and Rinka slept next to her. Tomorrow, they would be traveling again, and she needed to sleep, but she just couldn’t make herself do it. She pulled herself out of bed and wandered away from the main living room, toward the window. From here, she could see a small courtyard leading toward the temple’s main gates, and the moon rose overhead. It reminded her of the red moon rabbit who hadn’t worn a rabbit hat for five days straight now. How could she help fix that?

“You are asleep.”

She turned, and Iroha was standing there, awake, but there was something odd about her. The way she walked, the cadence of her voice -- none of those things were Iroha. “You are asleep, are you not? You walk with the whispers of one who is asleep.”

Iroha came closer and sat by Natsuki, looking into her grey eyes. “Young one from another world, so far away. Don’t you realize that the life being given to you is a gift?” Iroha cupped Natsuki’s face in her hand, and Natsuki found herself drawn into this mysterious aura. “The one they call the SYNESIRIS, a name with no meaning, though a rose smells just as sweet. Learn from my pain. Heed my call. Live, sweet lion. Live with the spark that ignites your power, the spark that only I can see from my vantage.”

She found herself in Iroha’s arms, her hair being stroked, scratched behind her ears, and she found herself purring. Iroha whispered into her ears. “You will find the answer when you seek with all of your heart. I pray tell that you find it soon.”

Just like this, Natsuki fell asleep, and when she woke up, she was back on the futon with Hiumi and Rinka, and Iroha was nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this update.


End file.
